Children's home run by Unity Residential Care Services Limited in Newcastle-under-Lyme

Inspection report children’s home: SC412385 1 SC412385 Registered provider: Unity Residential Care Services

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home provides care and accommodation for up to three children who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home is owned by a private provider.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 20 to 21 February 2018

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: sustained effectiveness

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Key findings from this inspection

 Children make good progress in all aspects of their lives and are settled living in this home.  Children are able keep their pets that they bring from home. Inspection report children’s home: SC412385 2  Children are treated individually and celebrated in their own right.  Children maintain strong attachments with their family and friends.  Children’s views, wishes and feelings are listened to.  Staff advocate strongly on behalf of children.

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Key findings from this inspection

The children’s home’s areas for development:

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Key findings from this inspection

 Recruitment procedures for agency staff are not thorough.  Recording of staff rosters is weak.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

07/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 08/11/2016 Full Outstanding 03/03/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 24/09/2015 Full Requires improvement Inspection report children’s home: SC412385 3

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’. The registered person(s) must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety. The registered person may only employ an individual to work at the children’s home if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3). The requirements are that the individual is of integrity and good character; the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform; the individual is mentally and physically fit for the purposes of the work that the individual is to perform; and full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32(1)(2)(a)(3)(a)(b)(c)(d)) 05/04/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4. This is in particular reference to staff rosters. (Regulation 37(1)(2)(a)) 05/04/2018

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make good progress living in this home. Children are parented by staff who are nurturing, humorous and sensitive to their needs and life histories. Children enjoy each other’s company and get on very well together. They play games together and form positive relationships with staff. Staff parent them as individuals and celebrate their personal characteristics and nuances. Staff are incredibly proud of the children and have high aspirations for them. Children’s views are considered important and integral to the running of the home. Children contribute to their written plans, but they also want their home to be homely and not feel like a children’s home. Children do not want to sign paperwork, have locked doors, or plan menus. Staff respect their wishes and, as a result, the home has a good atmosphere that is steered by the children. Children enjoy good health. Their physical and emotional health needs are met and

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

advocated for by staff. Staff, supported by the child adolescent mental health service (CAMHS), undertake therapeutic support when children do not wish to engage with Inspection report children’s home: SC412385 4 somebody who they do not know. This helps children to reduce anxieties about therapy and to try to understand and/or make sense of past events. Children are registered with all necessary medical practitioners and attend routine appointments. Children enjoy healthy eating and relish choosing their favourite foods; for one child, this is sirloin steak. Children make good progress in their education. Staff work hard to ensure that children maintain their school placement during difficult periods. For example, staff have regular meetings with a range of professionals and advocate for children to be treated the same as all other students. This ensures that the holistic needs of children are met so that they can

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

prosper academically and socially. A child was very proud to inform the inspector that he is doing very well at school. This sense of pride helps to build children’s self-efficacy. Children enjoy themselves and are encouraged by staff to engage and participate in enjoyable activities, for example playing board games, being part of a football team, and swimming. Children say that they love ‘Shadow’ (the home’s pet cat) and are able to have their own pets for comfort. Children’s bedrooms are of an exceptionally high standard and decorated to their individual choices. Children enjoy spending time with their friends and families. Staff are very supportive and encourage children to have their friends and family visit the home. Friends come for tea after school or at the weekends. Children enjoy holidays with staff and their siblings. This strengthens their attachments with those who are significant to them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are fully supported when they move into the home. Staff visit children in their own homes prior to their move and provide them with information and a children’s guide. A placing social worker stated that staff, ‘Worked really well and they [staff] took it on their own backs to make the decision to meet [child] on the Saturday and Sunday.’ Children are encouraged to visit the home and have dinner so that they can meet staff and other children. They have the opportunity to see their bedroom and choose their decoration and bedding. This helps to reassure children and reduces any anxieties that they may have. Children are encouraged to take age-appropriate risks that help them prepare for their independence. These risks are appropriately monitored and reviewed. This helps and encourages children to take and understand risks while being protected by caring staff.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Children are safe living in this home. They do not go missing and are not at risk of child sexual exploitation. Managers and staff have good risk assessments in place for the children. They are implemented by all staff, which minimises risks. Staff promote positive behaviour at all times and they recognise the subtle changes in children’s behaviour when they are becoming heightened or distressed. Staff have a good understanding of the triggers and reasons for children’s behaviours. Physical interventions are undertaken with children as a last resort and are recorded appropriately. Staff undertake work with children in relation to radicalisation and help them to understand the impact that this has on individuals, families and society. Internet safety is closely monitored by staff and appropriate measures put in place to safeguard children. Inspection report children’s home: SC412385 5 Managers have acted swiftly and contacted appropriate safeguarding professionals when

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

required. They have worked with other agencies to ensure that children’s safety and welfare is promoted at all times. Staff recruitment procedures are not vigorous enough when employing staff from an agency. Although agency staff are rarely used, on the occasion when they have been employed, managers have failed to secure the relevant information. Furthermore, the staff rosters do not detail the full information of staff working in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home has a suitably qualified and experienced registered manager. The registered manager is currently on maternity leave. Suitable alternative arrangements have been made. The previous deputy manager has been promoted and is currently awaiting registration with Ofsted. Staff are supervised formally and informally and morale is good. Staff undertake a good induction and training generally meets the children’s needs. Observations in the home are good, and staff and children are relaxed, humorous and respectful to each other. Staff are appropriately qualified. As a result, children benefit from a staff team that is trained to meet their needs and have regular opportunities to discuss children’s progress and welfare. Managers have a clear understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the service and are ambitious to keep learning and developing in line with feedback from children, professionals and up-to-date research. Consequently, they are meeting the aims and

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

objectives of their statement of purpose. Managers learn from incidents and implement alternative ways of working. They constructively challenge other professionals to ensure that children receive the best possible service while maintaining positive partnership working. There are good monitoring systems that help managers assess the impact of the care and support that they provide to children. Managers are constantly reviewing practice in order to make improvements. Staff are extremely proud of the children and their development and progress. Managers make sure that children are central to their own care plans. Plans are individualised to each child’s needs. Managers understand the needs of children and prioritise them. Staff have all the relevant documentation that enables them to provide appropriate care for children. Staff work in collaboration with CAMHS, childcare professionals and education staff to identify the holistic needs of all children. Home records

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

contain up-to-date information that fully reflects children’s events, experiences and individual needs. Children benefit from an all-inclusive approach from the adults involved in their care.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the differences made to the lives of children and young people. They watched how professional staff work with children and young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care provided. Wherever possible, they talked to children and young people and their families. In addition, Inspection report children’s home: SC412385 6 the inspectors have tried to understand what the children’s home knows about how well it is performing, how well it is doing and what difference it is making for the children and young people whom it is trying to help, protect and look after.

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Information about this inspection

Using the ‘Social care common inspection framework’, this inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, and to consider how well it complies with the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’. Inspection report children’s home: SC412385 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Unity Residential Care Services

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unity Residential Care Services Ltd, 98 Lancaster Road, Newcastle Under Lyme ST5 1DS

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Inspector

Sandra King, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC412385 8 achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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